CBSE asks schools to set up ‘oil boards’ to promote healthy eating

The Central Board of Secondary Education has directed all affiliated schools to set up “oil boards” in a bid to promote healthy eating habits and curb problems such as obesity, a letter from the board said.

- Rajeev Mullick

In a letter to school principals dated July 15, CBSE director (academics) Dr Praggya M Singh cited the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21) data which revealed that over one in five adults in urban areas is overweight or obese.

The letter further cited the “Lancet GBD 2021” obesity forecasting study, published in March 2025, and said the number of overweight and obese adults in India is projected to rise from 180 million in 2021 to over 440 million by 2050, making it the country with the second-highest global burden of overweight and obese people.

The prevalence of childhood obesity is impacted mostly by poor dietary habits and reduced physical activity, the letter said.